Heli Jeskanen-Sundström the new Director General of Statistics Finland

The Finnish Council of State appointed Deputy Director General Heli Jeskanen-Sundström (54), Master of Social Sciences, as the new Director General of Statistics Finland today, 13 June 2001. The appointment will take effect on 1 September 2001 when the present Director General, Timo Relander retires.

Heli Jeskanen-Sundström has acted as Deputy Director General of Statistics Finland since 1997. She has headed the Director General's Secretariat, with the principal tasks of assisting the Director General in the management of Statistics Finland and the Finnish national statistical service, related strategic planning, and development of the agency's management, planning and follow-up systems. Ms Jeskanen-Sundström has also been permanent expert on the Board of Statistics Finland. She has taken part, for example, in the meetings of the EU's Statistical Programme Committee and in the statistical director level meetings of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN/ECE), the OECD and the Nordic statistical agencies. She acted as Chair to the statistical workgroups of the EU Council during Finland's Presidency of the EU.

Ms Jeskanen-Sundström came to Statistics Finland in 1968. Her previous posts have included those of Senior Statistician, Planning Officer, Head of Division and Director of Business Statistics.